Trash Those To Do Lists

Whether you've got a full time job or a side hustle or if you're a full-time homemaker wrangling grocery lists and home schooling and self-care, it's been hard to get stuff done these days, hasn't it?

In the beginning, (LOL it feels like this pandemic has already lasted an age), even a quick look at my to-do list would send me off into a spiral of overwhelm. 

A constant diet of news didn't help either. Then I came across this article ( as you do when you constantly look up self improvement books and articles) that mentioned Done lists. I'll wait if you want to give it a quick skim.

https://www.self.com/story/done-lists


Sick of being asked to read more articles....I got you, babe! ;)

To give a basic summary, the author asks us to do away with our painful To Do lists (if they make you cry like they did me) and adopt Done Lists. On the days when I sat down at my work computer at 11:13 am and was already feeling behind and overwhelmed, this list made me put down:

1. Drank 2 cups of coffee
2. Talked for 6 min with Hubster and hugged him twice
3. Made Breakfast for girls
4. Had a protein rich breakfast
5. Emptied Dishwasher
6. Cleared the counter
7. Called Mom
8. Whats-Apped aunt in India
9. Showered, dressed and tamed wild eyebrows.


And so on and so forth...

I went from feeling like Blah to Wow I've already done 9 things this morning. And I did more things - reading an article I'd bookmarked over coffee, helping 9 yo with Math, Editing 5 pages - just to put them on the list and check them off when they were done.

I have to tell you it was a fantastic feeling, and it continues to work for me two months in. Sometimes, I'll add a note of gratitude there, sometimes, I'll write down what's making me anxious but the DONE list is right there to give me a little push. 


Does this mean we have to ditch our to do lists completely? Not at all, whatever the click-baity title says :) .

I'm a huge planner addict and I still make monthly and yearly plans BUT for now, I have adapted my daily planner for my Done List. Even when I think I've done nothing, there's at least 3 to 4 tasks that I have finished and it gives me a much needed jolt in these stressful times. 

Small Changes + Every Day = A New Year!

It's the first working week of the new year for me and it's off to a great start!

This year, I did a lot of reflection on the past year and my word for the year is GROW. I met an old friend from college and something about that meeting reminded me that I used to be so bold and sparkly and just willing to risk things, experiences, opinions to just LIVE life.

Of course, I'm wiser than I was 15 years ago but somewhere that inherent boldness also dulled.

So this year, I'm claiming that sparkle back and am going to try to Grow into myself again. See what I did there? 😀

Of course, the word comes with its own pressures because who among us doesn't want to see immediate results. We do live in a world of instant gratification.

So to support that growth and to sustain it over long term, my other themes are small changes, consistency, and mindfulness.

Whether writing and writing related business stuff or health and fitness or spirituality or family or relationships, I'm implementing small changes.

Small Changes + Every Day = Sustainable Growth.

Hey, I even did some math in the name of my theme. 😉 #STEMGirl

And Metrics.

The other difference this year is I'm tracking everything. EVERYTHING! From writing sprints to mood (PMS rages/hysterics anyone?) to food to steps to yoga to gym visits to dental visits to WhatsApp communication (all those groups add up y'all) to Social Media Posts to Books I Read to Movies I watch to Board Games played with Children to Travel to Meals to Expenses to how many times I'm journaling in the year to WaterIntake to well....like I said everything.

🧘‍♀️🏋️‍♀️💻⏰⌚️🛏🎊💌📒📅📖📓📙💟

For me, the main advantage of tracking all these Metrics (other than the fact that it feeds my planner and stationery addiction) is that when the shine of the new year fades and I fall into a rut ( which is inevitable because motivation is not in infinite supply) the metrics help me get back on track.

To do an easy reset.

The good days shine in contrast to the sad, bad, miserable days.

Also, they help me figure out what tasks I dread, what I love, what refill the muse, what makes my heart expand with joy, what drags me down, what gives me decision fatigue early in the week and I can adjust these things to function better.

Not at peak level. I don't think it's possible to function at peak levels all the time. But I can do more of the good stuff and minimize the stuff that gives me very little ROI.

Phew!! 😐

Makes sense, right?

I don't know where I heard it because I'm a productivity junkie and I read so many articles/books on it but in essence I think I'm choosing SYSTEMS over WillPower.

Because systems are designed to handle failures/ false starts/ inertia etc. but again willpower is only finite.

Since you've hung on for this long, here's some pretty pictures of my planner.

Also new book started today!

The book and life is a blank page, ready to be filled.